47
MUSICAL COURIER
January 5, 19 2 2
MUSIC ON THE PACIFIC SLOPE
RARE MUSICAL EVENTS ATTRACT CAPACITY
AUDIENCES IN SAN FRANCISCO
Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Music Society and Arthur Rubinstein Give Brilliant Series of Concerts—Schumann-Heink Heard in Memorable Recital—Mabel Garrison Charms with Folk Songs—Delightful Recital by
Mischel Piastro and Alfred Mirovitch
Civic Auditorium no doubt could have been filled. Every available space was crowded, even the stage, to greet this wonderful artist who has defied years and retains the supreme art of her youth. Mme. Schumann-Heink’s voice is glorious, warm, flexible and radiant with beauty. For her opening group, the great diva sang “Ah Rendimi” (Rossi), “Largo” (Handel), and “Ah mon fils” from “Le Prophète” (Meyerbeer). Her ability to extract from a composition the very essence of its poetic meaning was never more charmingly manifested. Her phrasing, the perfect enunciation, her very evident love of singing, make her an inspiration to listen to and to behold. She was generous with her encores, responding to the wealth of affection that the audience felt for her. The program was concluded with a group of Wagnerian arias, extracts from “Rheingold,” “Götterdämmerung,” “Tristan and Isolde” and “Tannhauser.”
Arthur Loesser, Schumann-Heink’s accompanist and associate artist, is a truly gifted pianist, being sympathetically in accord with the diva; as a soloist he showed a warmth of poetic tone and feeling. It was, in all, one of the most enjoyable concerts that San Francisco has been treated to in a number of years.
Mabel Garrison Charms Large Audience.
One of the largest audiences that ever crowded into the Colonial ballroom of the St. Francis Hotel, greeted Mabel Garrison pn November 28, when she appeared at the second of the Alice Seckels matinees. Miss Garrison has a beautiful and colorful voice and a personality that is equally as charming. As an interpreter of folk songs she proved herself especially gifted, entering into the spirit of them in a manner that is truly rare. Of her group of French songs, Debussy’s “Fantoches” was so beautifully rendered that the audience demanded a repetition of it. Her two operatic arias were “Non paventar,” from the “Magic Flute,” and Rossini’s “Una voca poco fa.” In these numbers, as in all others, Miss Garrison displayed excellent technic and phrasing, and a tone beautifully balanced. Her pianissimo and middle voice are very lovely. George Siemonn was the accompanist.
Stravinsky’s “Fire Bird” Suite Given by San Francisco Orchestra for First Time Here.
, Alfred. Hertz gave us our first hearing of Igor Stravinsky’s “L’Oiseau de Feu” at the fourth symphony concert
(Continued on page 50)
with its many hazardous passages, was beautifully presented.
Rubinstein gave, with the orchestra, Saint-Saëns’ concerto No. 2, in G minor. The soloist again displayed an astonishing technic. He is a veritable wizard at the keyboard, and is a sensational player in the sense of his extraordinary ability, but is a supreme artist who never stoops to the sensational.
The orchestra, under Mr. Hertz’s direction, gave splendid support. It would seem that San Francisco is more in love with its orchestra this season than ever before.
Rubinstein Dazzles Audience at His Recital.
When Rubinstein made his third appearance before a San Francisco audience it was at his own recital, and the remarkable impression that he had made on previous appearances was still more keenly emphasized. One feels that the depths of his soul have not as yet been touched, but nevertheless he is a master and a great one. He appeals to the imagination, he can stir the profoundest astonishment with his technic, his strength is extraordinary, his accuracy and speed are phenomenal, and he leaves his audience aroused to a high pitch of enthusiasm. He appeals above all to the mentality.
At his recital he played Bach’s G minor fantasia, Liszt’s twelfth rhapsody, and Chopin’s C sharp minor scherzo and A flat polonaise. He gave us also numbers of the modern composers, Debussy and ■Prokofieff. Rubinstein himself is a modernist and every number he plays is touched with modernism. He is a very masculine artist, and while lacking somewhat in tenderness, he is a colossal figure in the world of art.
Schumann-Heink Gives Memorable Concert.
When Selby C. Oppenheimer brought Schumann-Heink to this city on November 27, to sing in the Century Theater, he found so great a demand for seats that the
PACIFIC NORTHWEST DIRECTORY
San Francisco, Cal., December 10, 1921.—Arthur Rubinstein made his first appearance in this city, when he appeared with the San Francisco Chamber Music Society at its second concert of this season, playing Cesar Franck’s sonata for piano and violin, and Dvorak’s quintet, op. 81 in A major, for piano and strings, with Louis Persinger, director of the Chamber Music Society. In the first number Rubinstein proved himself to be essentially a soloist, and this was noticeable again in the last number.
The most charming selection on the program was Beethoven’s quartet op. 18, No. 4, in C minor. In this the Chamber Music Society gave ample proof of the perfection it has attained, both technically and artistically. These excellent artists—Louis Persinger, Louis Ford, Walter Ferner and Nathan Firestone—are scoring a decided triumph at every recital, and the appreciation of San Francisco music lovers is attested by the crowded houses that greet them at every performance.
The vivid and dramatic Dvorak quintet, which closed the program,^ gave another test of the ability of these players. Rubinstein displayed a truly marvelous technic and his tone is one of rare beauty.
Rubinstein Play^s with San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.
When the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Alfred Hertz, gave the third pair of symphony concerts, with Arthur Rubinstein as soloist, not ׳even standing room was available in the Columbia Theater. Mr. Hertz offered a memorable program, opening with Tschai-kowsky’s fourth symphony, rendered with depth of feeling, and highly melodramatic in its reading of Fate. The able director must be a great lover of the Russian composer to be able to enter so deeply into the heart of his work. The orchestra as well reveled in this composition and the audience was enthusiastic in its response. The “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” by Dukas followed. This difficult number
ARMSTRONG, FRANCIS J. A* Violinist; Director Violin Department, Cornish School of Music, Seattle	CORYELL, MARIAN Composer-Pianist, Recitals Cornish School, Seattle	T/־ ANTNER, CLIFFORD W. IV Voice Representing Edmund J. Myer 306 Spring St., Seattle	CENSENIG, GRACE Musical Courier Correspondent 1519 Jefferson St., Boise, Idaho
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